The Fight for Identity as an Asylee in the US

“When you’re a woman of color in leadership, why wouldn't you have an identity crisis when the standard for you, even in the position of power that you are in, is different from your white co-workers and colleagues. You have to spend time and emotional labor to advocate to people why you are even here in the first place.”

Qurat Ul Ain is an immigrant, an asylum seeker, and a leader in the legal fight for women's rights across the country. 

Amalia and Qurat Ul Ain speak about feeling like you need to whitewash yourself, the many challenges and sacrifices you face as a refugee in the US, and having to hide parts of your personality or your beliefs and opinions to fit in or earn your visa. They also connect over Qurat Ul Ain’s work at Legal Voice, including operating on a shared leadership model and the shocking fact that crisis pregnancy centers aren’t protected by HIPAA.

Key Takeaways:

1. Feeling the need to show up as a “model brown person”: Qurat Ul Ain details her decade-long experience of fighting her case as a religious and a political asylee in the US.
2. Her work with Legal Voice: In her “dream job” as Development & Communications Director, Qurat Ul Ain helps the immigrant community and people who speak English as a second language to understand their rights.
3. The Whole Damn Pie means: being accepted and belonging somewhere. For Qurat Ul Ain, it’s being able to step out confidently, not being put in a box, and not having people ask, “So, where are you really from?”. 

Learn more about Legal Voice here: https://legalvoice.org/